# rubbs A Ruby gem for building telnet BBS servers. Three interaction layers, from simplest to richest: | Layer | What it is | When to use | |---|---|---| | `BBS::Flow` | Line-oriented declarative dialogue DSL (ask / say / menu / persist) | Login, registration, simple wizards | | `BBS::TUI` | Page-router with frame-buffer delta rendering | Single-purpose full-screen UIs | | `BBS::Application` | Full widget framework: Menubar, Window, Button, TextInput, ListBox, … | Multi-window Synchronet-style BBSes | A single session can switch between layers — typically `Flow` for login then `Application` for the main shell. ## Installation ```ruby # Gemfile gem 'bbs', git: 'https://git.teletype.hu/tools/rubbs.git' ``` ## Quick start — Flow + Application ```ruby require 'bbs' MAIN = BBS::Application.define do theme BBS::Theme.synchronet menubar do menu '&File' do item '&About' do BBS::Dialogs.message(self, 'Hello from rubbs!') end item 'E&xit' do :halt end end end status_hint('F1', 'Help') { BBS::Dialogs.message(self, 'No help yet.') } status_hint('F10', 'Menu') { menubar.open(0) } end BBS.configure do |c| c.mouse = true c.idle_seconds = 600 c.flow = BBS::Flow.define do big_banner 'MY BBS', style: :success ask :username, prompt: 'Name' app MAIN say 'Goodbye!' end end BBS.start ``` Connect with `telnet localhost 2323`. ## Configuration `BBS.configure` yields a `BBS::Config`: | Option | Default | Description | |---|---|---| | `flow` | — | A `BBS::Flow` object (required) | | `port` | `ENV["BBS_PORT"] \|\| 2323` | TCP port | | `mouse` | `false` | Enable xterm SGR mouse reporting | | `idle_seconds` | `nil` | Disconnect after N idle seconds (nil = never) | | `theme` | — | Default theme for Applications (overridable per app) | | `screens_dir` | `nil` | Directory for ERB screens used by `BBS::Flow#screen` | | `on_session_end` | `nil` | Lambda called when a session ends | ## The Application layer `BBS::Application` is a widget event loop with: - a root container drawn behind windows; - an optional `Menubar` with Alt-letter pulldown menus and F10 access; - an optional `Statusbar` with clickable hotkey hints; - a stack of modal `Window`s (the top one receives input first); - xterm SGR mouse events delivered to widgets; - a 1 Hz internal tick for chat polling, clocks, etc. ### Built-in widgets (`BBS::Widgets`) | Widget | Purpose | |---|---| | `Label` | Static text, optionally aligned, themed via `style_key` | | `Button` | `&Save`-style hotkey, fires `on_click(self)`; mouse-clickable | | `TextInput` | Single-line input with cursor, scroll, `on_submit`/`on_change` | | `TextArea` | Multi-line editor with arrow-key navigation | | `Checkbox` | Toggle with `on_change(checked, self)` | | `ListBox` | Scrolling list with mouse + keyboard, wheel scrolling | | `ScrollView` | Read-only scrolling text view, with scrollbar | | `ProgressBar`, `Spinner` | Progress feedback | | `Panel`, `HBox`, `VBox` | Containers / layout | | `Window` | Top-level modal container with title bar, close gadget, shadow | | `AnsiArt` | CP437 / ANSI art renderer with SAUCE stripping (`AnsiArt.from_file`, `AnsiArt.random(dir)`) | ### Built-in dialogs (`BBS::Dialogs`) ```ruby BBS::Dialogs.message(app, "Saved!", title: ' Done ') BBS::Dialogs.confirm(app, "Delete?", on_yes: -> { ... }) BBS::Dialogs.input(app, prompt: 'Name?', on_submit: ->(value) { ... }) ``` ### Pre-built window types (`BBS::Windows`) High-level modal windows you can open imperatively with `.open(app, …)` or declaratively via the window DSL (see below). | Window | Purpose | |---|---| | `Info` | Centered dialog for messages, splash screens, key/value displays, optional scroll mode | | `Form` | Labeled input rows + textarea + checkbox + status line for inline validation | | `MasterDetail` | Two-pane browser: ListBox on the left, ScrollView of details on the right | | `Stream` | Live history view + single-line input + idle-tick polling (chat, logs) | | `ButtonBar` | Helper that lays out a row of buttons at the bottom of any window | Example — opening directly: ```ruby BBS::Windows::Info.open(app, title: ' Welcome ', width: 70, body: [ { text: 'rubbs', style: :accent }, :spacer, :rule, { kv: [['Online', '5'], ['Ruby', RUBY_VERSION]] }, ]) BBS::Windows::Form.open(app, title: ' Profile ', fields: [ { key: :sig, label: 'Signature', value: '...' }, { key: :bio, label: 'Bio', type: :textarea, rows: 6 }, { key: :nsfw, label: 'Show NSFW', type: :checkbox, value: false }, ], on_submit: ->(values, form) { return (form.error('Bio required.'); :keep) if values[:bio].empty? save(values); :close }) BBS::Windows::Stream.open(app, title: ' Live Chat ', initial_lines: chat.history, placeholder: 'Type and press Enter…', on_submit: ->(text, _app) { chat.broadcast(username, text) }, on_poll: ->(_app) { chat.drain(session_id) }) ``` ### Window DSL — declarative windows Register windows by name inside `Application.define`, then open them by symbol. Block callbacks receive a `ctx` hash combining the app's services, app context, and any extras passed to `open_window`. ```ruby MAIN = BBS::Application.define do services chat: ChatService.new, boards: BoardService.new window :compose, type: :form do |w| w.title { |ctx| " Post to #{ctx[:board].title} " } w.width 70 w.field :body, type: :textarea, max_length: 1000 w.on_submit do |values, form, ctx| case ctx[:boards].post(ctx[:board].id, ctx[:username], values[:body]) when :empty then form.error('Message cannot be empty.'); :keep else :close end end end window :games, type: :master_detail do |w| w.title ' Game Catalog ' w.items { |ctx| ctx[:games].all } w.item_label { |g, _ctx| g.title } w.render_detail { |g, width, _ctx| GameCard.lines(g, width) } w.action(label: '&New') { |_win, ctx| ctx[:app].open_window(:new_game) } end end # Later, inside a menu handler: app.open_window(:compose, board: current_board) ``` `window :name, type:` supports `:info`, `:form`, `:master_detail`, `:stream`. Inside the block, scalar attrs (`title`, `width`, …) and block attrs (`body`, `items`, `on_submit`, …) accept either a value or a `{ |ctx, …| … }` block. Use `w.field` for form fields, `w.action` for master-detail action buttons, and `w.button` for info-window buttons. ### Menubar DSL ```ruby menubar do menu '&File' do item '&Open', shortcut: 'Ctrl-O' do … end separator item 'E&xit' do :halt end end end ``` The block runs in the Application's context (so you can call `open_window`, `close_window`, `cols`, `rows`, etc.). Return `:halt` from any handler to end the session. ### Theming Built-in palettes: `synchronet` (default), `nortoncommander`, `dosnavigator`, `neumanntronics`, `mono`. Apply one and/or override individual style keys with the `theme` DSL block: ```ruby MAIN = BBS::Application.define do theme :nortoncommander do window_border "\e[1;36;44m" accent "\e[1;33;44m" end end ``` Pass a `BBS::Theme` instance directly to use it as-is, or build one from scratch with `BBS::Theme.new(:my_theme, { window_border: "\e[1;36m", … })`. ### Per-window ticks `BBS::Application` fires a ~1 Hz tick when idle and calls `tick(app)` on each open window. `BBS::Windows::Stream` uses this for polling. Override `tick` in your own `Window` subclasses to refresh clocks, drain queues, etc. ### Markdown → ANSI `BBS::Markdown.to_lines(text, width:, theme:)` returns an Array of ANSI-styled strings suitable for feeding to `BBS::Widgets::ScrollView` or `Info`'s scroll mode. Supports headings, bold/italic/code spans, links, quotes, bullet lists, code blocks, and horizontal rules. ## The Flow layer The DSL for line-based dialogue. Available steps: | Step | Purpose | |---|---| | `screen :name` | Render an ERB screen from `screens/` | | `banner`, `big_banner` | Box-drawing / FIGlet ASCII art header | | `say`, `text`, `section`, `line`, `body` | Text output | | `ask :field`, `set :field, value`, `persist :field, store:` | Input + persistence | | `pause`, `wait_enter`, `gate`, `confirm` | Control flow | | `menu`, `exit_menu` | Numbered option menus | | `fetch`, `pick` | Data fetch + list selection | | `rows`, `table` | Formatted output | | `call { \|ctx, runner\| … }` | Arbitrary code; return `:halt` to end | | `tui DEFINITION` | Hand off to a `BBS::TUI` page router | | `app DEFINITION` | Hand off to a `BBS::Application` widget app | ## Input model `Session#readkey(timeout:)` returns one of: - a single-character `String` (printable input) - a `Symbol`: `:enter`, `:tab`, `:shift_tab`, `:backspace`, `:escape`, `:up`, `:down`, `:left`, `:right`, `:home`, `:end`, `:page_up`, `:page_down`, `:insert`, `:delete`, `:f1` … `:f12`, `:ctrl_a` … `:ctrl_z`, `:alt_a` … (any printable character preceded by ESC), `:interrupt`, `:idle` - a `BBS::Telnet::MouseEvent` with `kind`, `button`, `x`, `y`, `mods` — delivered when `BBS.config.mouse = true` ## Stores `BBS::Store` is a thread-safe upsert-by-`session_id` CSV file with an in-memory cache; appends are O(1), full rewrites only on update. ## Architecture | File | Responsibility | |---|---| | `bbs/server.rb` | TCP accept loop, one thread per client | | `bbs/session.rb` | Telnet negotiation, mouse enable/disable, idle timer | | `bbs/telnet.rb` | Telnet protocol, full key parsing, xterm SGR mouse | | `bbs/config.rb` | `BBS::Config` value object | | `bbs/flow.rb`, `bbs/flow_runner.rb` | Flow DSL + interpreter | | `bbs/tui.rb`, `bbs/tui_runner.rb` | Page-router with frame-buffer rendering | | `bbs/frame_buffer.rb` | Double-buffer, delta diff, drawing helpers | | `bbs/application.rb` | Widget event loop, window stack, ticking, DSL builder | | `bbs/widget.rb`, `bbs/container.rb` | Widget tree base | | `bbs/widgets.rb` | Built-in widgets | | `bbs/widgets/ansi_art.rb` | CP437/ANSI art widget | | `bbs/window.rb`, `bbs/menu.rb`, `bbs/statusbar.rb`, `bbs/dialogs.rb` | Chrome | | `bbs/window_spec.rb` | Declarative window DSL (`WindowSpec`) | | `bbs/windows/info.rb` | Centered info / message / kv dialog | | `bbs/windows/form.rb` | Multi-field form with status line | | `bbs/windows/master_detail.rb` | Two-pane list / detail browser | | `bbs/windows/stream.rb` | Live log / chat window with input + polling | | `bbs/windows/button_bar.rb` | Bottom-row button layout helper | | `bbs/focus_manager.rb` | Tab/Shift-Tab focus traversal | | `bbs/theme.rb` | Style palette (synchronet, nortoncommander, dosnavigator, neumanntronics, mono) | | `bbs/markdown.rb` | Markdown → ANSI line array renderer | | `bbs/event.rb` | Unified key + mouse event objects | | `bbs/store.rb` | Thread-safe cached CSV upsert | | `bbs/banner.rb`, `bbs/renderer.rb` | FIGlet + ERB | | `bbs/color.rb` | Simple ANSI colour helper |